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Lumpectomy (Breast-Conserving Surgery)

The drawing on the left shows removal of the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it. The drawing on the right shows removal of some of the lymph nodes under the arm and removal of the tumor and part of the chest wall lining near the tumor. Also shown is fatty tissue in the breast.

Lumpectomy. The tumor and some normal tissue around it are removed, but not the breast itself. Some lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed. If the cancer is near the chest wall, part of the chest wall lining may be removed as well.

Credit: © Terese Winslow

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Lumpectomy is a type of breast surgery in which the surgeon removes the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or breast cancer and some healthy tissue around it. If the cancer is near the chest wall, part of the chest wall lining may also be removed.

Lumpectomy is an option for some people with DCIS or invasive breast cancer. It is usually followed by radiation therapy. Research shows that lumpectomy plus radiation therapy is just as effective as mastectomy (surgery to remove all breast tissue) at lowering your chance of dying from breast cancer or of the cancer coming back. Learn more about choosing between a mastectomy and lumpectomy to treat breast cancer.

Your doctor may suggest a lumpectomy plus radiation therapy if:

  • the cancer or DCIS is small relative to the size of the breast
  • the cancer or DCIS is found in only one place in the breast
  • you are not pregnant and are able to have daily radiation therapy for up to 6 weeks

If large amounts of tissue need to be removed during a lumpectomy, the surgery may be called partial mastectomy, segmental mastectomy, or quadrantectomy.

After a lumpectomy, a pathologist will check the healthy tissue that was removed to see if it contains DCIS or cancer. If it does, you may need more surgery or a mastectomy so the surgeon can remove more tissue and make sure no DCIS or cancer cells remain in the breast. 

Treatment before or after lumpectomy

Most people who have a lumpectomy receive radiation therapy after they heal from surgery. The goal of this treatment is to keep cancer from coming back in the same breast. Learn more about Radiation for Breast Cancer.

You might also need chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy, before or after surgery. Learn more about Breast Cancer Treatment.

The type of treatment you receive will depend on many factors, such as how different the tumor cells look from normal breast cells, how likely the tumor cells are to grow and spread, and the results of biomarker tests. Learn more at How Breast Cancer Is Diagnosed and Tests for Breast Cancer Biomarkers.

Recovering from lumpectomy

Most people can go home the day of their lumpectomy and go about their daily activities with few restrictions. But you may need help with some tasks, depending on the extent of your surgery. Within two weeks, you should be able to return to your normal activities.

Reconstruction after lumpectomy

After a lumpectomy, your breast will usually look and feel much like it did before surgery. You will have a scar at the site of surgery. And there may be a dent where the tumor and tissue were removed.

Talk to your surgical team about how your surgery might change how your breast looks. If you think you will not be happy with the look or feel of your breast after surgery, you may think about reconstruction. Reconstruction can take place during or any time after the lumpectomy. 

There are two types of breast reconstruction for people who have a lumpectomy:

  • Oncoplastic surgery combines lumpectomy with plastic surgery that can help make the breasts look more even if large amounts of tissue are removed from one breast. It can also reduce scarring and dents. A plastic surgeon will often do this reconstruction during the same surgery as the lumpectomy.
  • Revision reconstruction usually happens after you have healed from a lumpectomy. A plastic surgeon may be able to improve scarring and hardening of tissue at the surgical site. And they may be able to restore the shape of the breast with fat grafting, tissue flaps, or implants.

Lumpectomy risks

As with any surgery, lumpectomy has risks, including:

  • bleeding and pain at the site of surgery
  • infection
  • fluid buildup near the site of surgery
  • lymphedema, if lymph nodes are removed
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